Refrigerator appliances generally include a cabinet that defines one or more chilled chambers for receipt of food articles for storage. In addition, refrigerator appliances also generally include a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to permit selective access to food items stored in chilled chamber(s). Certain refrigerator appliances, commonly referred to as door-in-door refrigerator appliances, may include an outer door rotatably hinged to an inner door to permit selective access to the chilled chamber(s) or, alternatively, a food storage chamber positioned between the inner and outer doors. Further refrigerator appliances include an icemaker. In order to produce ice, liquid water is directed to the icemaker and frozen. After being frozen, ice may be directed to a separate ice storage bin. In order to maintain ice in a frozen state, the ice storage bin is positioned within one of the chilled chambers and/or a separate compartment behind one of the doors. In the case of a door in door-in-door refrigerator appliance, the ice storage bin may be positioned behind both of the inner and outer doors.
Although the ice storage bin of a refrigerator appliance may be accessible to a user, such access generally requires opening the door(s) to the chilled chamber. Thus, if a user wishes to draw ice directly from the ice storage bin, relatively hot ambient air will be introduced to the chilled chamber. The introduction of ambient air may greatly increase the temperature within the chilled chamber and reduce the overall efficiency of the refrigerator appliance. Some systems may provide a dispenser assembly in the door to direct ice from the icemaker or ice storage bin to an area outside of the refrigerator appliance. However, such a dispenser assembly may clutter the outer appearance of the refrigerator appliance, detracting from the visual appeal and creating surfaces that may be accidentally activated or damaged.
Similar, if not greater concerns, may arise if a user simply wishes to view the contents of the ice storage bin (e.g., to see how much ice is currently stored within the ice storage bin). A user is generally required to open the door of the refrigerator appliance to view of the ice storage bin. Moreover, since the contents of many ice storage bins are not readily visible, even when door to chilled chamber is open, a user may be required to remove the ice storage bin in order to view its contents.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a refrigerator appliance with feature(s) addressing one or more of the above-identified issues.